Biblical Hebrew
Books by Miles V. Van Pelt
with Gary D. Pratico
Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar Basics of Biblical Hebrew Workbook
Charts of Biblical Hebrew A Graded Reader of Biblical Hebrew The Vocabulary Guide to Biblical Hebrew Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary Cards
Biblical Hebrew Laminated Sheets (Zondervan Get an A! Study Guide) Basics of Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary Audio
Other Books by Miles V. Van Pelt
English Grammar to Ace Biblical Hebrew Basics of Biblical Aramaic: Complete Grammar,
Biblical Hebrew
A C o m pA C t G u i d e
ZONDERVAN
Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide
Copyright © 2012 by Miles V. Van Pelt
Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Van Pelt, Miles V., 1969_
Biblical Hebrew : a compact guide / Miles V. Van Pelt. p. cm.
ISBN 978 – 0 – 310 – 32607 – 6 (softcover) 1. Hebrew language — Grammar. I. Title. PJ4567.3.V348 2012
492.4'82421 — dc23 2012004858 Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zonder-van, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, with-out the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover design: Tammy Johnson Typeset by Miles V. Van Pelt Printed in China
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface xiBasic Phonology
Alphabet 1 Direction 2 Begadkephat Letters 2 Gutturals 2 Modern Pronunciation 2 Vowels 3 Regular Vowels 3 Vowel Letters 4Other Vowel Symbols 5
Syllabification 6
Two Rules of Syllabification 6 Syllable Classification 6 The Daghesh and Syllabification 7 The Shewa and Syllabification 8
Rules of Shewa 9
Qamets and Qamets Hatuf 11
Furtive Pathach 11
Quiescent א 11
Hebrew Diphthongs 12
Hebrew Vowel Rules 12
Additional Vowel Characteristics 13
Sqnmlwy 13
Nominal System
Nouns 14
Noun Paradigm 14
Noun Pluralization and Vocalization 15
Definite Article 18 Morphology 18 Syntax 20 Conjunction Waw 22 Morphology 22 Syntax 24 Prepositions 26 Basic Grammar 26
Types of Hebrew Prepositions 27 Spelling of Inseparable Prepositions 29
The Preposition ן ִמ 30
Adjectives 33
Adjective Paradigm 33
Adjectival Inflection 34
Syntax 36
Independent Personal Pronouns 38
Morphology 38 Syntax 38 Demonstratives 40 Morphology 40 Syntax 41 Relative Pronoun 42
The Relative Pronoun ר ֶשׁ ֲא 42 The Relative Pronoun
ֶשׁ
42The Interrogative ה ׇמ 44 The Interrogative י ִמ 44 The Interrogative
ה ָמ ָל
/ה ָמּ ָ֫ל
44 The Interrogativeךְי ֵא
/ה ָכי ֵא
45 The Interrogativeי ֵא
/ה ֵיּ ַא
45 Pronominal Suffixes 46 Morphology 46With Masculine Nouns 48
With Feminine Nouns 49
With Monosyllabic Nouns 50
With Prepositions 51
With
ְכּ and ן ִמ
52With ־ת ֶא/ת ֵא 53
As a Resumptive Pronoun 54
With Perfect Verbs 55
With Imperfect (Imperative) Verbs 56
Construct Chain 57
Basic Grammar 57
Vowel Reduction in Closed Syllables 59 Vowel Reduction in Open Syllables 60 Masculine Plural Nouns 60 Feminine Singular Nouns 60 Plural Segholate Nouns 60
Monosyllabic Nouns 61
Diphthongs 61
Nouns Ending with Seghol He 61 Tsere Changes to Pathach 62
First Rule of Shewa 62
Numbers 63
One through Ten 63
Eleven through Nineteen 65 Twenty through Ninety Nine 66
One Hundred and Up 67
Ordinal Numbers 68 Particles 70 Interrogative Particle
ֲה
70 Directional Particle ה ָנ 71 Particle ה ֵנּ ִה 71 Particle of Existence שׁ ֵי 73 Particle of Non-Existence ן ִי ַ֫א 74Verbal System
Qal Perfect 75 Strong Verbs 75 Stative Verbs 76 Weak Verbs 77Syntax of the Perfect 79
Qal Imperfect 83
Strong Verbs 83
Stative Verbs 85
Weak Verbs 86
Syntax of the Imperfect 91
Qal Imperative 94
Strong Verbs 94
Lengthened Imperative 95
The Particle א ָנ 95
Weak Verbs 96
Strong Verbs 98
Weak Verbs 99
Syntax of the Infinitive Construct 102
Qal Infinitive Absolute 105
Strong Verbs 105
Weak Verbs 105
Syntax of the Infinitive Absolute 107
Qal Active Participle 109
Strong Verbs 109
Weak Verbs 110
Syntax of the Participle 112
Qal Passive Participle 114
Strong Verbs 114
Weak Verbs 115
Syntax of the Participle 116
Niphal Stem Verbs 118
Meaning of the Niphal Stem 118 Strong Verb Paradigms 119 Weak Verb Diagnostics 121
Piel Stem Verbs 124
Meaning of the Piel Stem 124 Strong Verb Paradigms 125 Weak Verb Diagnostics 127 Loss of Daghesh Forte (Sqnmlwy) 129
Pual Stem Verbs 130
Meaning of the Pual Stem 130 Strong Verb Paradigms 130 Weak Verb Diagnostics 132
Hiphil Stem Verbs 133
Meaning of the Hiphil Stem 133 Strong Verb Paradigms 134 Weak Verb Diagnostics 136
Hophal Stem Verbs 139
Meaning of the Hophal Stem 139 Strong Verb Paradigms 139 Weak Verb Diagnostics 141
Hithpael Stem Verbs 143
Meaning of the Hithpael Stem 143 Strong Verb Paradigms 144 Weak Verb Diagnostics 145 Metathesis in the Hithpael Stem 147 Assimilation of ת in the Hithpael Stem 147
Other Derived Stem Verbs 148
Polel Stem 148
Polal Stem 149
Hithpolel Stem 150
Hishtaphel Stem 152
Appendices
Verb Paradigms and Charts 154 Hebrew-English Lexicon 169
PREFACE
This little book was written in order to provide stu-dents with a “compact guide” to biblical Hebrew. Be-ginning students will find the presentation of material convenient for review. Intermediate students can use this mini-grammar as a practical tool for translation. Even the veterans of this biblical language will find the compact guide helpful for blowing off the dust, filling in the cracks, and keeping fit in biblical Hebrew. The utility of a compact guide is offset by limitations related to page length and size. The selection of con-tent will not satisfy everyone’s preferences, but we did take careful aim. The best way to access the book’s content is through the extended table of contents. The material presented in this book is derived primarily from Basics of Biblical Hebrew, 2nd edition, by Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt (Zondervan, 2007). Thanks again to my friend and editor, Verlyn Ver-brugge, for all of his expert help with the production of this guide. My teaching assistants, Kelley Baldridge and Josh Drake, make it possible for me to write in the midst of a full schedule. Thanks to Paul Sumner for his careful proofreading. Finally, I am indebted to a spe-cial team of Hebrew language consultants who pro-vided expert proofreading and content checking: Jane E. Baynard, William Baynard, Chapel Baynard, Leigh Ann King, William King, May Hudson King, and Charlie King. You guys saved my bacon!
HEBREW ALPHABET
Letter
Final
Name
Pronunciation
Form
א
Alef (silent)ב
Bet b as in boyג
Gimel g as in Godד
Dalet d as in dayה
He h as in hayו
Waw w as in wayז
Zayin z as in Zionח
Het ch as in Bachט
Tet t as in toyי
Yod y as in yesכ
ך
Kaf k as in kingל
Lamed l as in lionמ
ם
Mem m as in motherנ
ן
Nun n as in nowס
Samek s as in sinע
Ayin (silent)פ
ף
Pe p as in pastorצ
ץ
Tsade ts as in bootsק
Qof k as in kingר
Resh r as in runשׂ
Sin s as in sinשׁ
Shin sh as in shipת
Taw t as in toy 11. Direction. Hebrew is written from right to left, not left to right as in English.
ת שׁ שׂ ר ק צ פ ע ס נ מ ל כ י ט ח ז ו ה ד ג ב א
2. Begadkephat Letters. Six Hebrew consonantshave two possible pronunciations. The presence or absence of the Daghesh Lene distinguishes be-tween the hard or soft pronunciations of the consonant.
בּ
b as in boyכּ
k as in kingב
v as in vineכ
ch as in Bachגּ
g as in Godפּ
p as in pastorג
gh as in aghastפ
ph as in alphabetדּ
d as in dayתּ
t as in toyד
dh as in theת
th as in thin3. Gutturals. The guttural consonants are א, ה, ח, ע and ר (a semi-guttural). Gutturals (1) prefer a-class vowels, (2) reject Daghesh Forte, and (3) take Hateph vowels instead of Vocal Shewa. The semi-guttural ר may take Vocal Shewa.
4. Modern Pronunciation. Israeli Hebrew differs in a number of ways from what is considered to be the traditional or ancient pronunciation.
Traditional Modern Consonant Pronunciation Pronunciation
ג
gh as in aghast g as in Godד
dh as in the d as in dayת
th as in thin t as in toyו
w as in way v as in vine Hebrew Alphabet ※ 2HEBREW VOWELS
Hebrew vowels can be divided into two groups: regu-lar vowels and vowel letters. In each group, there are as many as five vowel classes (a, e, i, o, u). The regular vowels are presented in three major categories: long, short, and reduced. The vowel letters are organized by the consonant with which they appear (He, Waw, and Yod).
Regular Vowels
Long Vowels
a-class
בּ
ׇ
Qamets a as in father e-classבּ
ֵ
Tsere e as in they o-classבּ
ֹ
Holem o as in roleShort Vowels
a-class
בּ
ַ
Pathach a as in bat e-classבּ
ֶ
Seghol e as in better i-classבּ
ִ
Hireq i as in bitter o-classבּ
ׇ
Qamets Hatuf o as in bottle u-classבּ
ֻ
Qibbuts u as in rulerReduced (Hateph) Vowels
a-class
בּ
ֲ
Hateph Pathach a as in amuse e-classבּ
ֱ
Hateph Seghol e as in metallic o-classבּ
ֳ
Hateph Qamets o as in commitVowel Letters
Vowel Letters Written with
ה
(He)
a-class
ה ׇ
בּ
Qamets He a as in father e-classה ֵ
בּ
Tsere He e as in theyבּ
ה ֶ
Seghol He e as in better o-classהֹ
בּ
Holem He o as in roleVowel Letters Written with
ו
(Waw)
o-class
וֹ
בּ
Holem Waw o as in role u-classוּ
בּ
Shureq u as in rulerVowel Letters Written with
י
(Yod)
e-class
י ֵ
בּ
Tsere Yod e as in theyבּ
י ֶ
Seghol Yod e as in better i-classי ִ
בּ
Hireq Yod i as in machineNotes on Hebrew Vowel Letters
1. Vowel letters written with ה (He) occur only at the end of a word, as in
ה ָ
רוֹתּ
(law) andה ֶ
נ ְבִי
(he will build).2. Vowel letters written with ו (Waw) and י (Yod) are often referred to as unchangeable or histori-cally long vowels.
3. Defective writing is that phenomenon in which certain vowel letters are written without their consonant. There are three patterns of defective writing.
בּ
וֹ
➣בּ
ֹ
Holem Waw written as Holemבּ
וּ
➣בּ
ֻ
Shureq written as Qibbutsבּ
י ִ
➣בּ
ִ
Hireq Yod written as HireqOther Vowel Symbols
1. Daghesh Lene (בּ) appears as a small dot only in a begadkephat consonant in order to distinguish between the hard and soft pronunciations. 2. Daghesh Forte (בּ) doubles the consonant in
which it appears. It can occur in any consonant except the gutturals and ר.
3. Silent Shewa (בּ
ְ
) has a zero value and is never pronounced and never transliterated.4. Vocal Shewa (בּ
